KANSAS CITY WIZARDS vs HOUSTON DYNAMO
COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK, Kansas City, Kan.
July 4, 2009 (WEEK 16) / MLS Game #113
8 p.m. CT (MetroSports; KHOU/Informa)
The Kansas City Wizards are looking to start a second-half run up the Eastern Conference standings, but it begins with a tough test as MLS overall leaders Houston Dynamo make an Independence Day visit. For the Wizards, it's their first league game in three games after taking part in SuperLiga; their last league game was a 3-1 home win against New England. The Dynamo saw their club-record 11-game undefeated streak come to an end last weekend in a 1-0 loss to Los Angeles Galaxy to kick off a four-game road swing.
REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Peter Manikowski; 4th: Oscar Ortiz MLS Career: 21 games; FC/gm: 29.0; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 5; pens: 7
INJURY REPORT: KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: FW Adam Cristman (fifth metatarsal fracture); GK Eric Kronberg (shoulder surgery); DF Chance Myers (fifth metatarsal fracture); MF Kevin Souter (sports hernia surgery) ... HOUSTON DYNAMO - OUT: DF Eddie Robinson (L knee surgery); DF Wade Barrett (L gastrocnemius strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Craig Waibel (R hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: KC: Jimmy Conrad, Davy Arnaud (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); Roger Espinoza (HON; CONCACAF Gold Cup); HOU: Brian Ching; Stuart Holden (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); Andrew Hainault (CAN; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: KC: Davy Arnaud ... HOU: Geoff Cameron, Bobby Boswell
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Matt Besler; Roger Espinoza, Herculez Gomez, Jack Jewsbury, Claudio Lopez, Lance Watson ... HOU: Brad Davis; Ricardo Clark
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (6 meetings): Wizards 1 win, 6 goals ... Dynamo 3 wins, 9 goals ... Ties 2
IN KANSAS CITY (2 meetings): Wizards 0 wins, 2 goals ... Dynamo 2 wins, 4 goals ... Ties 1
RETURN MATCH: 10/4: Kansas City Wizards at Houston Dynamo, 2 p.m. CT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
4/12: KC 0, HOU 0
9/7: HOU 3, KC 1 (Davis 28; Jaqua 54, 67 - Arnaud 86)
• The Dynamo have not lost to the Wizards in their last six meetings in all competitions, since a 2-1 Kansas City victory on April 8, 2006 in the first meeting ever between the clubs.
• When the Dynamo won 3-1 at Robertson Stadium in the final meeting last year, it was the first league victory by the home team. The Dynamo won their two previous visits to Kansas City before a draw last season, while the Wizards had come away from the Bayou City with a victory and a draw in their first two trips.
• The teams also met in the 2007 Western Conference Championship, with the Dynamo taking a 2-0 victory (Jaqua 35, De Rosario 81) on their way to a second successive MLS Cup triumph.
• Coaches record: Curt Onalfo v HOU: P4 W0 L2 D2 ... Dominic Kinnear vs. KC: P12 W5 L3 D4
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards return to league play for the first time in three weeks after taking part in SuperLiga for the first time, their last MLS game a 3-1 victory against the New England Revolution at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on June 13. The Wizards have 19 points from 14 matches, now in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, yet just four points behind division leaders D.C. United.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution were coming off back-to-back victories after a six-game winless streak, while the Wizards had won just once in their last seven games.
• The home side nosed in front on 19 minutes. Davy Arnaud finished off a neat quick passing sequence through the heart of the Revolution defense, tapping home a Claudio Lopez pass from close range for his fifth of the season.
• But the Revolution were level nine minutes later. A corner was cleared back out to the left and Steve Ralston swung in a pinpoint cross to the far post where Shalrie Joseph headed it off Kevin Hartman and into the side netting for his fifth goal of 2009.
• The game then exploded. Emmanuel Osei was sent off by referee Ricardo Salazar after striking out at Lopez, and two minutes later the Wizards took the lead. A Herculez Gomez shot was saved by Matt Reis, but the rebound hit a retreating Jeff Larentowicz and bounced into the New England goal.
• The Wizards put the game away three minutes later. Josh Wolff's header from a corner kick was saved by Reis, but the rebound was headed back across goal by Jimmy Conrad, and Aaron Hohlbein snuck it to poke it home from close range for his second goal of the season.
• Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo made no changes to the team that lost 2-0 to a 10-man Columbus Crew at home the weekend before.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-1-3-2): Kevin Hartman - Lance Watson, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Matt Besler - Santiago Hirsig - Jack Jewsbury (Graham Zusi 79), Davy Arnaud (Kurt Morsink 89), Herculez Gomez (Michael Harrington 69) - Josh Wolff, Claudio Lopez. Substitutes Not Used: Roger Espinoza, Rauwshan McKenzie, Boris Pardo, Abe Thompson
TEAM NEWS
• The Wizards return to league play following a SuperLiga campaign that saw them fall short of the semifinal stage, winning once in three matches and scoring just one goal. After a scoreless draw against Atlas in St. Louis and a 1-1 draw at New England, the Wizards lost 3-1 to Santos Laguna at CommunityAmerica Ballpark to end in fourth place in Group B.
• After giving Rauwshan McKenzie his 2009 debut in the game against New England, Onalfo had to bring him in when Jimmy Conrad suffered a slight injury in the first half against Atlas. The Mexican side scored their three goals in the final half-hour, most up the center of the park.
• "Anytime you lose Jimmy Conrad, who, in my mind, is one of the best central defenders in [MLS], you're going to have issues. Having said that, I thought Rauwshan did a fairly solid job," Onalfo said. "But, you're playing against a very savvy group of attacking players. That ended up being the difference in the game."
• That meant the Wizards back four included rookie left back Matt Besler, third-year player Aaron Hohlbein and Jack Jewsbury, who has played primarily as a midfielder this season. "(T)hose are the guys who have gotten results throughout the tournament and in the previous game against New England. Jack Jewsbury was the defender of the year for us last season, so he's going to be able to get in there and get results for us," said Kevin Hartman.
• Here's Onalfo's team in the SuperLiga finale: Kevin Hartman; Lance Watson (Davy Arnaud 46), Jimmy Conrad (Rauwshan McKenzie 45), Aaron Hohlbein (Michael Harrington 65), Matt Besler; Herculez Gomez (Michael Kraus 75 [ejected 87]), Santiago Hirsig, Jack Jewsbury, Roger Espinoza, Josh Wolff, Claudio Lopez
• On Tuesday, the Wizards survived their U.S. Open Cup third round against the USL-1 Minnesota Thunder, winning 4-2 in a penalty shootout after playing to a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes. Michael Kraus and Abe Thompson scored two minutes apart to put Kansas City ahead after 19 minutes, but Ricardo Sanchez converted a pair of penalty kicks, the second in the 84th minute, to bring Minnesota level. Rauwshan McKenzie scored his first professional goal to give the Wizards the lead midway through extra time, but Melvin Tarley once again came through for the Thunder with a 114th-minute equalizer.
• In the shootout, the Wizards hit all four of their attempts, while reserve goalkeeper Boris Pardo saved the final two from Minnesota, giving the Wizards a quarterfinal date with either Seattle Sounders FC or the USL1 Portland Timbers.
• Here's Onalfo's team: Boris Pardo; Lance Watson, Jonathan Leathers, Rauwshan McKenzie, Matt Marquess; Michael Harrington (Claudio Lopez 89), Kurt Morsink, Graham Zusi (Herculez Gomez 77), Roger Espinoza; Abe Thompson, Michael Kraus (Josh Wolff 98)
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo saw their club-record 11-game undefeated streak come to an end, the Los Angeles Galaxy getting the game's only goal for a victory Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Dynamo still lead the Western Conference and MLS overall table with 28 points from 15 matches, one point ahead of Chivas USA and five ahead of Eastern Conference leaders D.C. United.
LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo had seen a five-game winning streak ended with a late 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake in their last match, but still had equaled the club-record 11-game unbeaten streak, set first June 3-July 22, 2007. After reeling off 10 games without a loss (featuring eight draws), the Galaxy had lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
• The game's lone goal came in the 24th minute. From a corner kick played short, Mike Magee cut into the penalty area from the left and hit a low shot aimed for the far post. Todd Dunivant turned it inside the far netting with the slightest of touches, his first goal on the season and the fourth of his MLS career.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made three changes to the team that came back for a late 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake at Robertson Stadium. Mike Chabala, Corey Ashe and Brian Ching all returned to the team with Craig Waibel injured, Andrew Hainault on international duty and Cam Weaver on the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-4-2): Pat Onstad - Richard Mulrooney, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Mike Chabala - Brian Mullan (Dominic Oduro 75), Brad Davis, Stuart Holden, Corey Ashe - Brian Ching, Kei Kamara (Cam Weaver 73). Substitutes Not Used: Ade Akinbiyi, Tally Hall, John Michael Hayden, Julius James, Craig Waibel
• "Overall, a disappointing night with the result, obviously, and in the way we played. We've definitely played better during the season, and I expect us to play better than that. But unlucky not to come out with something, because I thought we created some chances there," Kinnear said.
TEAM NEWS
• While the Dynamo saw their 11-game unbeaten streak come to an end, it still spanned a remarkable rise up the table for the club. After a 1-0 loss at D.C. United on April 4, the Dynamo were sitting a tie for sixth place in the Western Conference; they took over the top spot after their draw against Real Salt Lake on June 20.
• "It's been a good run. Good climb to the top of the Western Conference in MLS. We are halfway there. It's been difficult to get there. It will be harder to stay there. Decent season and we have halfway to go," Kinnear said.
• With a shortage of available defenders with Craig Waibel, Wade Barrett and Eddie Robinson all injured and Andrew Hainault on international duty, Richard Mulrooney returned to right back from the holding midfield role he had assumed with Ricardo Clark's absence to international duty. That meant Stuart Holden dropped deeper in the center of the park, with Brad Davis moving inside from the left flank and playing more forward.
• "At the start of the year, there were high expectations on my head. Expectations I was willing to take on, so a little bit of added pressure. It took a couple of games for me to get comfortable in there with Ricardo [Clark], and exactly what my role was," Holden said. "Since then, the team has been playing well, which has made it easier for me, giving me more confidence, giving the guys around me more confidence. We've gone from strength to strength. It's a little disappointing for the run to end tonight."
• For Brian Ching, it was his first full match in a Dynamo uniform since May 23. However, he will now leave to join the U.S. national team for the Gold Cup, along with Holden.
• "I felt a little heavy," Ching said. "I'm not where I want to be but it's OK. (Sunday) was one of those games you don't want to look back upon. I think we had a good little run. I think it will help our guys get focused. I'll have to turn it around and gel with a young national team."
• On Wednesday, the Dynamo advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-0 victory against USL-1 Austin Aztex in the Texas state capital. Second-half substitute Corey Ashe played a part in both goals, heading home a rebound from a saved free kick in the 71st minute, then providing the service for Dominic Oduro to volley home in the 90th minute.
• Here's Kinnear's team: Tally Hall, Mike Chabala, Bobby Boswell, Julius James, Brian Mullan (Corey Ashe 46), John Michael Hayden, Richard Mulrooney (Geoff Cameron 46), Erik Ustruck, Danny Cruz, Dominic Oduro, Ade Akinbiyi (Kei Kamara 80).
• The Dynamo have now earned a quarterfinal date with the USL-1 Charleston Battery on July 7 at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C. - against the club and at the place where Houston has been eliminated each of the last two years. The Battery knocked off Chivas USA 3-1 in the third round.
